Near Field Rules

[charmerci]

It just does. For 2 channel music, at least.

So what exactly are the Near Field Rules? lol

 

[Bucknekked]

I have near field systems too, but I am not talking about a "near field system." I am talking about a main system with, or without subs, near field style, and not necessarily an equilateral triangle. Also, not placed on a desktop, or other traditional, near field arrangements. I'm talking about speakers placed at an optimal listening height (even if it takes stools or stands) more like stereo at around 6-8ft apart, toed in, with the listener 6ft or less (or whatever happens to be audibly optimal) from a straight line that connects the fronts of the two speakers. Quite a difference.

In spite of current trends, most rooms suck unless it's an acoustically designed space or we get a little lucky. It takes a relatively large amount of fill and clutter to get an echo out of an average room. Take notice how much things change when you paint your rooms and move things out (or even away from the walls) and back in or when home shopping. Most listeners these days are lucky if hunny bunny lets them put speakers in "her" house at all, never mind $5-20k worth of acoustic treatments on top of them.

The amount of EQ it takes to correct a room is not exactly 'natural' sound, either, nor is a comparatively forced, flat response, after the fact.

MrBoat
As you know I'm in a near field setup because of circumstance: the room I could take and use for my dedicated music room doesn't allow for any other type of setup. Having said that, it also provides a superbly satisfying listening experience that my visitors continue to marvel at. I'm literally inside the speaker sound field and the subwoofer is actually coupled to the back of the listening chair. Its a visceral experience.

If I want laid back and casual listening, its awesome. If I want to feel the music as much as hear it, I can do that with ease. If I can save up enough shekels, I will put another system in our great room and it will be setup like most peoples arrangements (ie not near field). I want some of those Philharmonic 3's for out there. It might take a while and several piggy banks worth of quarters. In the meantime, I lack for nothing in my little near field room.

 

[MrBoat]

So what exactly are the Near Field Rules? lol

No using the amps/amp stand for a foot rest.

 

[Midnight Audiophile]

I'm literally inside the speaker sound field and the subwoofer is actually coupled to the back of the listening chair. Its a visceral experience.

I have a near field setup also. My main speakers (Dali Spektor 2s) are on Kanto 6" stands on a large wooden coffee table 42" apart. I have a 6.5" sub centered and coupled under the table, then an 8" slim-line sub coupled to a leather couch and directly under the LP. I run the subs in stereo and have the Dalis toed out plus on an active high pass filter. I get the same feeleng of being inside a sound field and the bass is killer including the "feel".

 

[MrBoat]

I'm still listening this way. Friends come over to sit in the driver seat to jam out occasionally. Some stay there for an album or 3. The off-axis effect is quite good as well.

I had a bbq here and got rained inside, and my one audiophile friend was trying out the system. He suggested Yuja Wang's live cover of "Rhapsody in Blue." Soon as the intro started with the clarinets, the whole room got quiet in here. Another friend is sitting on the end of the sofa, point blank in front of the left speaker, with his eyes closed and he is grinning like a horse eating briars. He doesn't care about anything other than just how good that one speaker sounds.

Another friend's wife, says that she doesn't care for any kind of orchestra music, "but that this music sounds gorgeous." This all before Yuja Wang even plays the first note. Just some woodwind and some horns and the whole room, as haphazardly as it was seated, is riveted to a song intro on youtube.

Another underrated way to listen near field is actually coupled to the system. Forearms on the table and crank it up. Mid bass punch and imaging for days from the chunky little JBLs. It's just another way to get something else out of music when nobody else is looking. I first came across this direct approach when the only place I could do audio was at my work bench in the 8' x 12' shed out back. It was a hefty furniture builder's work bench of solid maple. The other time was when a deaf friend said it was how he felt music the best, as well.

I have found that if one's imagination is intact and relatively well practiced, they can pretty much (automatically, even) put each sensory effect from music where it belongs, even when coupled to it directly,and maybe even especially because of it. I would not trade this 'side' experience for anything else audio, and these potent little budget 3-way monitors are part of it.

Same with the Paul Carmody Speedsters. Too small for me to take seriously in room, but wonderful up close like. I tried them both coupled, and not so. I preferred them right on the table. If the table is some modern flimsy thing, all bets are off.

Actually, the Speedsters were awesome in my bedroom. They get up there for what they are.

 

[Midnight Audiophile]

That's sounds cool. I love being creative and experimenting with stuff. I put a bass shaker under the couch at one point. It was actually pretty cool when I kept low, just enough to enhance the feel and it extended the bass a little lower. I'm going to reinstall and do DIY video on it. I've got the sub under the coffee table doing double duty with my desktop system, it's on a Rolls SS32 switch. I'm getting ready to start a nine speaker battle royal that I'll use the work-in-process (Darth Maul) binaural recording head in the bottom pic. I've got the Sony SS-CS5s in place checking them out right now. I really like the Kanto speaker stands. they're some solid gear. Cheers!

 

[Bucknekked]

That's sounds cool. I love being creative and experimenting with stuff. I put a bass shaker under the couch at one point. It was actually pretty cool when I kept low, just enough to enhance the feel and it extended the bass a little lower. I'm going to reinstall and do DIY video on it. I've got the sub under the coffee table doing double duty with my desktop system, it's on a Rolls SS32 switch. I'm getting ready to start a nine speaker battle royal that I'll use the work-in-process (Darth Maul) binaural recording head in the bottom pic. I've got the Sony SS-CS5s in place checking them out right now. I really like the Kanto speaker stands. they're some solid gear. Cheers!

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When @MrBoat speaks, it pays to listen up especially when talking about the home stereo phenomenon.
My stuff isn't fancy or incredibly expensive, neither is my room expansive or luxurious.
But I have put a fair number of hours and forum conversations in to it to make it perform.
And it performs beautifully.

I sit with my big fat feet between the Salk Songtowers when I recline in the listening chair.
The Monolith sub is firing right in to my back and its completely invisible for location but not for affect.
I have had a number of folks cycle through and not even notice I have a sub in the room. Your eyes are drawn up front to the Salks immediately and most folks miss the sub.

Like @MrBoat, most people who come in for a listen stop talking just about immediately and nobody is in a hurry to leave and go back to the real world. I love the reactions almost as much as the music.

For me, it's all about the music and the magic that is a great recording played on a great system. My near field setup is one of necessity: it's the only room I have that I can dedicate to the purpose. I am awfully glad such a setup exists and the folks at AH helped me find it and fine tune it.

 

[MrBoat]

When @MrBoat speaks, it pays to listen up especially when talking about the home stereo phenomenon.
My stuff isn't fancy or incredibly expensive, neither is my room expansive or luxurious.
But I have put a fair number of hours and forum conversations in to it to make it perform.
And it performs beautifully.

I sit with my big fat feet between the Salk Songtowers when I recline in the listening chair.
The Monolith sub is firing right in to my back and its completely invisible for location but not for affect.
I have had a number of folks cycle through and not even notice I have a sub in the room. Your eyes are drawn up front to the Salks immediately and most folks miss the sub.

Like @MrBoat, most people who come in for a listen stop talking just about immediately and nobody is in a hurry to leave and go back to the real world. I love the reactions almost as much as the music.

For me, it's all about the music and the magic that is a great recording played on a great system. My near field setup is one of necessity: it's the only room I have that I can dedicate to the purpose. I am awfully glad such a setup exists and the folks at AH helped me find it and fine tune it.

I'm a quack compared to most people in this, these days. I really didn't expect audiophile friends to like some of these odd listening habits, but they do.

For a while I had Some older Sony 8" 3-ways on my work bench, which had a top that was 1.5" thick with substantial framework under it. Friends used to come over and hang out there when the kids had priority in the house. That system cranked for what it was, and everyone thought it sounded great like that. After I dismantled it, friends missed it. Wasn't the stereo so much as the method they had been subjected to of it being so close to us, while it rattled (or flattened) our beers on the same bench.

Most recently when I built or repaired amps and needed to bench test them with speakers, I got hooked into it all over again. I tried my JBLs and my Fusion-12s while standing pretty much right between them toed-in and point blank. It was a glorious thing. ZZ Top's "Heard It on the X" had never sounded that good in a long time.